Novice questions

Anonymous Poster · Oct 10, 2001

Do attachments effect the hydro fluid level as far as the dipstick reading?
Should attachments (FEL) be removed when changing
hydro fluid/filters?
Thanks, Hedge

Bird · Oct 10, 2001

Do attachments affect fluid level? Yes, but not a whole lot in most cases because the hoses and cylinders don't hold that much. Should attachments be removed to change fluid? No, it just isn't necessary. Some recommend collapsing all the cylinders (close them as much as possible) to minimize the amount of fluid in them. Personally, I think the difference is too small to worry about. However, I do remove the FEL on mine when I change oil in either engine or hydraulics, but it's just to get it out of the way; not because of the effect on the fluid. On my last tractor, the FEL was not a quick attach, so it was never removed.

Bird

Richard · Oct 10, 2001

Out of curiosity..

On Brutus, (which I suppose to be hydraulically similar to a tractor) it looks to me as though the cylinder is ALWAYS full of fluid. The oil fills one side of cylinder to push ram out, fills other side of cylinder to push ram in. Therefore, the only difference in the volume of oil would be the area displaced by the push rod itself which in the grand scheme of things, seems to me to not be too significiant.

Would this be consistent with the logic of collapsing them as much as possible? (to remove the oil to the extent the rod displaces it)??

Am I missing something here?

I have contemplated what/how to change my fluid and wondered if I should open a hose far from pump and like brakes, bleed hose until fresh fluid emerges. Go to each cylinder & repeat on both sides blah blah blah...

As it is, since I do have a small leak somewhere, I just top it off & call it even /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Richard

Bird · Oct 10, 2001

I think you've described it right, Richard. Personally, I don't think the volume of oil in the cylinders and lines is enough to be concerned with. I'll bet a dealer never "bled" those lines to change the fluid.

Bird

GlueGuy · Oct 10, 2001

The service manager at my dealer recommneded that I check the hyd. fluid with all the implements in the "down" position. I thought that it "shouldn't" make any difference, but it does. The dipstick reads a little low if I check the level with the FEL and/or the boxblade in the up position.

I probably wouldn't concern myself with draining the cylinders for a change in fluid either. Even on my B7500, the whole system is several gallons, and there is maybe only a couple of quarts in each of the cylinders, if that.

The GlueGuy